Early Webcam Project by Petra Cortright Censored on Youtube

Artist Petra Cortright has had one of her early webcam videos pulled from youtube because she tagged the piece with key words such as tits and vagina. Rhizome reports they’ve snagged in their archive; good preservation news for the art folk. They’ve even gone so far as to replicate all the original tags, so props to them for due diligence.

The video itself simply captures Cortright clicking through stock webcam animations, so while youtube lends a certain casualness to the piece I think is preferred, it’s probably not essential to understanding the work. As some long time readers may remember, I took a stab at discussing the work back when the piece was uploaded in 2007. Looking back, I don’t love what I initially wrote; I spoke of virtuosity but it was only in the comment section of blog that artist Tom Moody and I fleshed out what that meant. As has been remarked elsewhere on this blog, learning in public is at once humbling and exhilarating.

Related: Amber Doll project censored on ustream for its use of naked dolls. The project is now taking place on livestream.

The Rhizome text stated: “The video, likely known to most readers, features Cortright mundanely
clicking through the stock effects of a $20 webcam, gazing bored into
the screen of her computer, trance playing in the background.”Â and elsewhere, can’t remember where, I read the adjective “vacant” to describe Petra’s gaze.Â So I was very glad to re-read that conversation between you and Tom. She’s focused and working (on getting those kittehs and pizzas just right). It’s what I’ve always loved about the piece